Car Shampoos

[tanuie]

Hi
Please can anyone tell me the advantage (if any) of using PH Neutral car shampoos, have read somewhere that these are better prior to waxing.
Many thanks

 

[Giantvanman]

These are better before and after wax because they do not react with the wax, as I understand it. Some shampoos will strip the wax from the car - great when planned, bad when not. Ph neutral minimises or negates the risk.

 

[merc85]

which shampoo's are ph neutral?

 

[BandyAndy]

which shampoo's are ph neutral?

Well i use AG Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner and that's ph neutral

 

[Giantvanman]

which shampoo's are ph neutral?

There are lots and lots and I will decline to mention what I use because that may well divert the thread onto "Well I use". Lots of choice and as personal as choice of wax.

Have a look at Car Care Products | Detailing Products | UK - Clean Your Car or Car Care Products | Car Detailing Products | Car Cleaning Products to get an idea what's around. Or spend some time with the search function on The Worlds Largest Resource for Detailers, Valeters and Car Cleaning

 

[merc85]

Well i use AG Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner and that's ph neutral

Awesome thankyou,

 

[merc85]

There are lots and lots and I will decline to mention what I use because that may well divert the thread onto "Well I use". Lots of choice and as personal as choice of wax.

Have a look at Car Care Products | Detailing Products | UK - Clean Your Car or Car Care Products | Car Detailing Products | Car Cleaning Products to get an idea what's around. Or spend some time with the search function on The Worlds Largest Resource for Detailers, Valeters and Car Cleaning

Thats fair enough, will deffo check those links out

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Do the popular wash-n-wax shampoos remove existing wax or are they OK to use? I've seen posts on detailing pages saying use wax-free shampoos, but I can't see why.

 

[Dieselman]

Does anyone really think a cap full of shampoo, whether PH neutral, or not, will have any effect in a bucket full of water?

 

[MDC250]

Does anyone really think a cap full of shampoo, whether PH neutral, or not, will have any effect in a bucket full of water?

Yes but depends on the size of the bucket I guess! Some shampoos have a very high dilution rate (2000:1) so a little goes a long way. Granted few will be strong acid or alkali to start with I guess but kind of begs the question why a manufacturer would go to the trouble of blending a ph neutral solution.

Some specific shampoos designed to strip LSP or be part of the decon process, although I've read some simply use good old Fairy Liquid.

 

[bamba]

Well i use AG Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner and that's ph neutral

If you are going to use this try halfords as they are having a 3 for 2 deal again

 

[Dieselman]

Yes but depends on the size of the bucket I guess! Some shampoos have a very high dilution rate (2000:1) so a little goes a long way. Granted few will be strong acid or alkali to start with I guess but kind of begs the question why a manufacturer would go to the trouble of blending a ph neutral solution.

Because it's an extra marketing line on the label.

Any shampoo would have to be extremely acidic or alkali to not be seriously weakened at 20000:1 mix.
If you were washing your car with caustic soda your skin would be telling you.

How do people ensure their water is ph neutral?

 

[ras8963]

"How do people ensure their water is ph neutral?"

Mmmm, good point I guess....

 

[BandyAndy]

If you are going to use this try halfords as they are having a 3 for 2 deal again

Thanks for that bamba, but I picked up 2.5L of the stuff locally for a bargain price last month. I'll get about twelve months out of it.

 

[MDC250]

Because it's an extra marketing line on the label. Any shampoo would have to be extremely acidic or alkali to not be seriously weakened at 20000:1 mix. If you were washing your car with caustic soda your skin would be telling you. How do people ensure their water is ph neutral?

No doubt marketing is part of it as realistically not going to test whether it is or isn't ph neutral. I'm very trusting though and if the bottle says it is, I take that to be the case.

Have used Farecla shampoo to help strip waxes/LSPs before though and it does work as the protection is gone albeit I will concede I use it as part of an overall process.

Fair and interesting point about water now you raise it.

 

[MDC250]

Water is I think from checking within the range of 6.5 to 9.5 so pretty much neutral...

 

[mannikon]

Water is I think from checking within the range of 6.5 to 9.5 so pretty much neutral...

7 is neutral but you're right, tap water can range widely though it tends to be very slightly acidic because of the chlorine etc, a spoonful of bicarb of soda would raise a bucketful of water to more alkaline or collect rainwater and filter it and add a small amount of alkaline (bicarb etc) which is what my detailer does. Tap water also contains a lot of organic matter which (if you're really OCD) might affect your car (unlikely I think).

 

[KurlyKris]

I`ve settled on Auto Glym Bodywork shampoo and conditioner, I squirt the wheels/tyres with 16-1 diluted Loctite 7840, rinse the car off with empty foam bottle attached to Nilfisk Pressure washer ( keeps the pressure right down ), then make a 10% mix in the foam bottle and wash again. Rinse, then wash again with 2 bucket method and 2 capfulls and wash mitt, then rinse again.

 

[crockers]

I`ve settled on Auto Glym Bodywork shampoo and conditioner, I squirt the wheels/tyres with 16-1 diluted Loctite 7840, rinse the car off with empty foam bottle attached to Nilfisk Pressure washer ( keeps the pressure right down ), then make a 10% mix in the foam bottle and wash again. Rinse, then wash again with 2 bucket method and 2 capfulls and wash mitt, then rinse again.

You must be knackered if that's just what you do to the wheels.

 

[markjay]

I get my car washed at the local hand car wash establishment (Central London flat, no driveway ).

No idea what they are using for shampoo but since the car came back shiny from Tony Fawkes (thanks again, Andy) in April, water droplets run off it like beads so I guess that whatever shampoo they are using has no ill-effect on the wax.